Falling Into Place
by The Assassin Alchemist
Summary: Two days before Roy Mustang's coronation as Fuhrer, central is attacked by a group of rebels. These rebels offer no information on themselves, except that they are called 'The Servants'. The power grid in Amestris is shut down and throws the country into anarchy. With Military personnel being rounded up in exchange for food, the Mustang Unit reunites with a certain State Alchemist
1. Dreams Come True

**Full Summary:**

Two days before Roy Mustang's coronation as Fuhrer of Amestris, central is attacked by a group of rebels. These rebels offer no information on themselves, except that they call themselves 'The Servants', or 'hybrids' as the country refers to them. The entire power grid in Amestris is shut down and throws the country into a spiraling anarchy. The military loses its power on the people; after all, the government cannot lock up everyone. With the civilians rounding up anyone enlisted in the military, from Privates to State Alchemists, and giving them over to the rebels for extra rations of food, Roy takes his team to seek out refuge with a certain former State Alchemist in the quaint town of Resembool. Together, the nine citizens of the once great city work together to get take their town back.

* * *

**Chapter 1  
Dreams Come True  
**_""There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."  
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist _  


* * *

_Boom!_

Roy's dark eyes stated out the window, locked on nothing of particular interest among the colorful trees of fall. His mind swirled around all the events that had unfolded in front of him for the past few weeks. He was being coronated as Fuhrer in three days. Just two weeks ago, Hawkeye had laid a perfect, uncreased white envelope on his desk. After a questioning look, he slip his finger across it and removed the elegant letter inside it. Right in the middle was the familiar Amestris symbol and directly below it, was a message:

"_This official document certifies that the nation of Amestris, prefecture of_ _the_ _Generalissimo appoints the title of Fuhrer to Colonel Roy Mustang in the name of Former Fuhrer Grumman on the date of 9. Nov. 20."_

He had finally done it; he'd completed his goal and was well on his way to fixing the country with his pawn, bishop, rook, knight, and queen faithfully at his side. Roy's eyes scanned the outside world, taking in how life was bustling and bumbling while he was stuck in his office. The people out on the streets and smiling and nodding, while the cars sat at a standstill like they normally did at this hour, were so much happier and less burdened now than they were a few years back. Roy allowed himself to smile once more.

_Screech!_

"My God, Fuery, are you packing or murdering something?" Havoc's voice came from the corner directly behind Roy, his voice muffled slightly from his cigarette. Roy's lips twitched up in a smile as Fuery stammered out an apology, holding the light brown cardboard box he had scooted across his desk against his blue military jacket. Fallman stifled a laugh as the two continued back and forth: Fuery apologizing as Havoc complained about how disorganized and noisy the other man was. Roy smiled gently. He had missed this when everything went insane a few years ago. It felt like centuries.

The heavy oak door moaned in protest as it swung back on its hinges, smacking the wall with an audible crack. The figure sighed as it stepped in, freezing the room in its motion as it turned to close the old door. The blond figure frowned gently, feeling the men's eyes on her back as her pale fingers gripped the battered and flawed wood of the door. She never grabbed the doorknob, it was a festering pool of germs, in her opinion. The door shut much quieter than it had opened, leaving the room in a deafening silence.

It amused the Colonel, how after all this time stuck in their offices that Riza still stirred such fear in his men.

Roy didn't have to turn and look to know his First Lieutenant was standing in her normal spot a few paces behind him and slightly to the right, arms folded behind her and head held high at attention. Mustang sighed, still not turning to look at his Lieutenant as he stared out the window.

"Sir," Riza's voice was stern and annoyed. Roy had refused to tell her where she would be going once he became Fuhrer. Of course, he had never had any other intention but to take all of them up the chain of command with him, but he had wanted it to be a surprise. When they each came in that morning, he had told them when they'd be expected to show up in his office and choose their desk. That statement was met with a smile by each of them before they begun to pack their things. It was a simple act of revenge, brought on by Riza leaving him in the dark about her moving apartments until he showed up at her old one with flowers and found that an old women lived there. He was forced to sit and listen to her life story and look photos of her twenty grandchildren, give or take.

"You're late, Lieutenant." The Colonel smiled to himself, though his voice didn't reflect the smile. He turned to look at her, arms folded across the harsh blue fabric of his uniform coat. His eyes smiled at her, but his lips stayed in a stressed, thin line. Riza cleared her throat and cast her eyes to the ground for a brief moment.

She hesitated. "I over slept, sir."

It was then that Mustang noticed the dark bags under her brown eyes, and the unamused frown on her face. Roy smiled, "You know you're coming with us, don't you?"

"I had hoped so, sir."

With that, Roy turned back to the window, arm propped again the wood of its frame as he focused on an imperfection in the glass of the window. He could hear the shuffle of papers and scraping of boxes against desks resume. Still, he didn't feel Riza's presence shift.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" He ask, deep voice bouncing off the off-white walls of the office. The office went quiet once more; quiet enough to hear Havoc's cigarette hit the floor. Riza shook her head and turned back to the heavy oak door. Roy glanced away from the window to watch her, observing the look of pure shook and horror on his subordinate's faces.

Riza crossed the floor in a hurry, her light footsteps the only sound in the room. Roy furrowed his brow in confusion. Did she not want to go with him? That went against everything she had ever said to him. Her shoulders shook, though she kept her head high and hazy eyes straight ahead, burning holes into the brown stained wood surface of the exit. She would not cry. She hadn't cried in a long time.

"We finally did it." She whispered. Fuery blinked between Havoc and Fallman, elbowed Brenda and nodded over to Riza with a bewildered look fixed on his young face. Brenda shrugged and continued filing his papers into a small cardboard box.

"We did," the corners of the soon-to-be Fuhrer's mouth tugged up. Riza had never been someone to get emotional, she was always the perfect image of calm and focus and someone her being emotional drove Roy to do the same. He blinked furiously and looked away from his friends, happy that they were too preoccupied with Riza to notice his momentary break in emotionlessness. He sighed and stepped away from his desk.

"Your ideals," Riza's voice shook, "have they changed?"

So this was what was wrong. She was following the request he made when she first begun working as his bodyguard. "They have not, Hawkeye." He was serious, but his voice was gently and honest. Havoc smiled a little and nodded over to Riza as she turned to look at him, hand on the butt of her pistol.

"You still want to bring this country back to a democracy?" She asked, moisture lining the bottom of her eyelid. Roy placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course I do." He smiled a little, "And I do believe I told you to shoot me in the _back_. I don't want to see it coming."

Riza pulled her hand off the gun and crossed her arms. "Good," She glared at the onlookers who quickly went back to their packing. Havoc muttered something about the two, earning him a glare from Roy. Havoc smiled in response and shrugged before continuing at his desk. Riza nodded to Roy and begun packing with Brenda and the others. "Do not forget that the ceremony starts at oh-seven hundred." Riza said, returning to her normal stoic personality. The Colonel nodded, sitting on his desk to watch his subordinates.

He smiled; Riza was always on top of everything. She'd probably call him that night just to be sure he remembered to wake up earlier, as if he would sleep that night anyway. Havoc grinned to himself as he watched the two of them. Riza had turned back to face the door before opening it and walking out. Roy was watching them, his dark eyes scanning all of them.

"Three days, and everything will change."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that was short. The next ones will be MUCH longer. It's more of a prologue than a first chapter, but the time frame fits better as a first chapter. What do you guys think? Oh, and is anyone good with mythical creatures? I need to know if there's an actual name for this thing I'm thinking of. Tell me through PM/ review if you might can help with that. :D


	2. Exploding Into a Nightmare

**Chapter 2  
Exploding Into a Nightmare  
**_"Your nightmares follow you like a shadow, forever. "  
― Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project_

Roy's body lurched forward, hand slapping against the hard, black surface of the car's dash to keep his head from hitting the dash. The raven haired man glared at his lieutenant as the car came screeching to a halt, sliding sideways and leaning up on two wheels. The Colonel let out a yelp, leaning against his door and yelling something at Riza that he wouldn't remember later. The car's momentum died and it fell back on its usual support of two wheels.

"_Dammit_, Riza! You almost killed us!" Roy panted, eyeing the man in the other car who was yelling and shaking his fist at the two of them. Riza's face was still calm, but her knuckles were white from her hard grip on the steering wheel. Her chest rose and fell too fast for normal, but adrenaline was something she was far too used to.

"I apologize sir," She whispered, voice slightly shaken. The other man emerged from his car that set up against a pole, yelling about how messed up it was. Horns sounded from all directions around them. If the stupid man hadn't pulled out in front of them, everything would have been fine. Roy's hands tightened into fits. Today was supposed to be a good day, it was the rehearsal of his ceremony, after all.

"We should have just taken my car." Roy muttered crossly, folding his arms over his chest with a pouty expression on his face. They had argued about it all morning. Riza had called him last night and practically ordered him to ride with her. Hilarious, for him to think his subordinate was ordering him to ride in her car. The Colonel rolled his eyes.

"I told you that was too big of a risk. You're in danger of assassinations now, remember?" Riza sighed in exasperation as the man banged on her window. She rolled it down, hand reaching for her pistol out of habit.

"Just what the _hell _do you think you're doing?" The man's voice was toxic, like a poison running through the dark haired man's veins and making his ears ring in distress. Riza simply smiled, once again the complete, coolheaded opposite of the angry Colonel. The man pumped his fist in the air in agitation and let out a string of curse words as he motioned to his car.

"I had the right of way, sir, and you pulled out in front of me. It is your own fault that your car is up a pole." Hawkeye paused, letting her eyes slide over to the man. "And I would bet that the cheap alcohol on your breath contributes to that."

Roy blinked in surprise, as did the other man. The man, who had slightly graying hair, nodded, apologized, and returned to his car. "We should go." Roy's voice was calm as he turned to face the front once more and fiddled with his seatbelt. This was going to make a good story to tell Havoc and the others once they got back.

"We're supposed to stay at the scene-"

Riza was interrupted by Roy's fit of laughter. "And do tell me who is going to enforce that when I'm being elected Fuhrer?"

Riza didn't respond. She simply started the car that Roy hadn't notice had been turned off, put it in drive, and continued down the road. The car was quiet for a few moments; the only sound was the combination of road noise and the faint humming of the radio. Roy watched the buildings as they past. Riza kept her eyes straight ahead.

"Are you ok, Lieut-"

"Fine, sir." Riza's voice was harsh as she spoke. It'd been almost a full two weeks since her grandfather's passing. She hadn't spoken about it once since it happened, and she plan on today being the first. Her shoulders fell a little and she sighed.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

_Sssshblamm!_

Roy's head jerked upward as the car came to a much gentler stop then before, but it still made him lean forward in his seat. His eyes grew wide as the sky above Central Command Headquarters grew red and hot. Riza's look of horror was reason enough for him to jump out of the car and start down the street, opposite of the way most people were running. Riza followed him, weaving in and out of the crowd.

"Colonel!" She yelled, attempting to grab his arm to stop him. He shook his head at her and pointed ahead at the now burning heap of Central Command. Riza yelled, yanking her pistol from its holster at her side. Roy hastily pulled his white gloves from his pocket and slipped them on his hand. "Colonel, we need to get you to safety!"

"Safety, my ass," his eyes glimmered with anger that danced on the dangerous look on his face, "my subordinates are down there, lieutenant."

"Of course, sir." Riza nodded, sighing as he continued down the road. It took all of about five minutes for them to make it to the building. Half of it—probably the part where the bomb went off—was complete in ruble, while the other half stood in flames.

Roy's face was frantic with worry and anger. Riza said nothing, there was nothing she could do to make him calm down. His friends' lives were in danger, and she knew how touchy that subject was. "Havoc!" His voice was horse and drown out by the sirens that sounded down the road, "Fuery!" It went quiet. There were no cries for help, no screams, no nothing, just the sound of sirens and flames as they sucked the oxygen out of the air. Roy pulled some of the rubble up, still yelling out their names. After her shock faded, Riza joined him.

There was a cough, probably no more than two feet away from them. Roy pulled one of the large rocks off the surface to reveal a hand. It was smashed to hell and back, but it was still a hand. Riza pulled the other rocks away. Blond hair was the first thing either of them saw, before realizing it was Havoc under the ruble. Mustang pulled him out, shaking him gently when the man said nothing.

"He's unconscious." Mustang's voice cracked.

"He's breathing, lie him down." Riza stated quickly as she began her search for the others. They found Breda and Fallman together. Fallman's head had been cut pretty deep, but both were conscious. Fuery, however, was nowhere in sight. Civilians had joined them after the first few minutes of initial shock. Only about fifteen had been pulled out, so far.

"W-what happened?" The familiar, young voice of Fuery floated over to the five, who smiled at the man in surprise. He looked bewildered and highly upset. "I went to go get some food for everyone, and… _what happened_?"

"We're not sure." Roy answered, picking up the still unconscious Havoc and slinging him over his shoulder. "We need to get him to a doctor."

Just then, there was a loud, high pitched ringing that sounded through the courtyard. Riza and the others covered their ears, leaving Roy to do nothing but flinch as he supported Havoc on his shoulder. The ringing slowly subsided and was replaced by a low, gravelly voice. The man that owned the voice cleared his throat.

"People of Amestris!" His greeting was met with the most eerie silence anyone of the Unit had heard. "This is a statement of our boredom with the Military and all that it stands for. This burning pile of rubble you see before you is just the beginning of the reforms that will be made to this country. There is just one question for you, will you stand with us or will you fight against us with the dogs that pushed you down and called you scum?"

By now, they had cleared most of southern end of the ruble and had freed about fifty to sixty officers and citizens. Roy scanned the area, watching as some nodded and some looked appalled at what was being said. Something tugged at his arm. He looked back to his side to see Hawkeye nodding at an alley across the street, with the other three already on their way there. Roy nodded and followed the blond woman as she pushed her way through the crowd.

"If you are wish to join us, the Servants, then go. Gather your supplies! Prepare for _war_!" The last word was spoken with such vigor that it made the Colonel shiver. War. It had been too long since he heard the proposition, and even longer since he participated in it. The young man shook his head and readjusted his friend on his shoulder.

"We need to get out of here, now." His First Lieutenant's voice was harsh and demanding. She checked her rounds and held her small gun at her side. She turned to look at the other men. "Who needs a gun?"

Havoc had a small pistol, similar to Hawkeye's but had small silver lines on the butt of the gun, in a holster on his side, but unfortunately he was incapacitated and wouldn't do much good protecting himself. Roy grunted and shifted the man again as he pulled the gun from its holster and tossed it to Breda. Hawkeye pulled the gun from the small of her back and tossed it to Fallman. Fuery blinked between his two superiors.

"Do I get a gun?" He asked in confusion.

"Do you know how to shoot?" Riza asked, leaning around a corner before shouting 'clear!' and continuing down the alley.

"Sort of. I passed the exam, anyway." Riza pulled another gun from side and tossed it him. He caught it clumsily before holding it down in front of him.

"We need to get out of the city!" Breda said quickly, inching behind Hawkeye in a crouch. Roy nodded, should pressed against the wall. Gun fire broke out somewhere back toward Central Command. Havoc groaned a little and squirmed, earning himself a bark from the Colonel.

"My apartment is outside the city." Riza stated, taking cover behind a dumpster and motioning for the others to do the same. "We need to get out as soon as possible. Things are going to go to hell quick."

"What about Havoc? He needs a doctor." Fuery inquired, looking between the four other soldiers. Roy looked at Hawkeye and shrugged.

"The best thing we can do for him is to remove him from danger."

"I-I'm fi..fine." Havoc's speech was slurred. "Put m-me down, Colonel."

"No, you're incapacitated." Havoc started to speak once more. "Don't argue."

"Let's go. We need a car." Hawkeye stood, observing the scene before rushing out of the alley and resting against the side of a car. The others followed, staying close to the ground as if they would be fired upon at any moment. '_The dogs that pushed you down_' Roy frowned at the thought. If they were against the military, that meant they were all in danger.

Hawkeye yanked the car door open, accidently smacking Fuery in the forehead with the door. She muttered a halfhearted apology before climbing into it and, giving a silent thanks to whatever God might exist for the keys being left in it, cranking it. The others piled in behind her. Roy slung Havoc into the back with surprised yelp from the three men in the back and took his place in the passenger seat. Hawkeye pulled out quickly.

They rode quietly for a while, the only sound was Havoc's labored breathing and yells of people on the streets. They were close to edge of Central now, just about fifteen minutes away from Riza's apartment. There was high pitched whistling, then something crashed into the glass beside Roy's head. He gasped, leaning back in his seat. Another gunshot sounded, this time hitting the hood of the car.

Riza rolled his window rolled down, leaning around him with her gun outstretched. She fired a few times, leaving an annoying ring in Roy's ears and the smell of gunpowder in the air. The man that had stood on the sidewalk with a gun pointed at them hit the ground miliseconds after she pulled the trigger. Riza returned to the wheel, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Are you ok, sir?"

"I'm fine." Roy's voice was strained from the shock of having almost been shot. He should have been used to that, especially after Ishval.

"Are we close?" Fallman asked, breaking the confusion that still hung in the air.

"Just a few more minutes." Riza answered, stepping on the gas. She wouldn't say how much it scared her how close that bullet came to hitting him. There was a bullet hole in the passenger window just inches away from his forehead. She sighed shakily, attempting to release her stress, but to no avail.

The car's tires came to a stop in a small parking lot. "This is your apartment?" Fuery asked, earning himself a glare that made him stare at his boots as if they were God himself. Roy got out of the car, taking Havoc from the backseat and tossing him over his shoulder once more.

"Time to get settled in."

* * *

Havoc's pale and chalky skin glowed orange from the flames of the fireplace he rested by. Breda sat beside, holding a wet washcloth against his forehead in hopes of keeping his fever down. Every few minutes, Jean would mutter something about noises and his cigarette. When he spoke, Fuery would look up from his book to watch the man's head toss and his eyelids flutter. Fallman sat leaned against the back of a chair studying the random cracks and dings in the ceiling as he answered the Colonel's every random question from where he sat on the loveseat. A few prior, Hawkeye had emerged from the kitchen with mugs full of strong, black coffee and handed them out.

Roy had blinked at the coffee before giving her a questioning look. "Why would you bring me this?"

"Because you need energy and none of you are going to sleep tonight." She responded before taking a seat in the bay window at the corner of the living room where the others were piled up. She took one of her many guns and began taking it apart to inspect and clean it.

They all had their ways of staying busy and avoiding the inevitable.

Roy sat upright, causing his subordinates to look over at him. "Why would anyone bomb Central Command?" He asked, voicing the question everyone had been wondering since the bomb went off. Havoc stirred gently, muttering once more. Breda returned the washcloth to the bucket and wrung it out a few times before replacing it on his forehead.

Riza returned to her gun cleaning. "He told us. They're tired of the Military." She stated simply as she glared down at her gun as if it had grown a third eye. She began vigorously scrubbing something on the side of the barrel.

Roy shook his head, rubbing his temples as he spoke. "Being tired of something isn't enough motivation to blow up a heavy populated building. They're not telling us something."

"Maybe they're just insane." Fuery offered, looking up from his book to take a sip of the coffee before making a not-so-subtle disgusted face. He sat it back down on the end table, next to a large, Victorian style lamp. Riza's apartment was surprisingly nice and almost girly, which was completely different than what the men had expected when they crossed the threshold into her home. For some odd reason, they'd half expected everything to be decorated like the office.

"Or maybe," Fallman propped his head up on his intertwined fingers and leaned closer to the coffee table that sat perched between he and the Colonel, "they were ordered to do it."

"But by who?" Hawkeye asked, pausing her gun cleaning session once more. "The Colonel is the highest ranking officer. No one can give orders that out rank his." She looked back to her gun and began piecing it back together. Roy's eyebrows furrowed, showing his stress lines that should have been made permanent long ago. The fire from the fireplace danced in his eyes as he thought back to everything that had happened over the past few months.

"No." Roy whispered, tapping his fingers against the light brown coffee table in anger. "I haven't been made Fuhrer yet."

Riza froze where she sat, hands still folded over the gun. Breda looked up at his superior, worry crossing his usually happy face. Fuery closed his book and laid it on the arm of the chair before messaging his eyelids with his thumbs. The light above their heads dimmed for a moment, distracting them from their conversation momentarily.

Suddenly, the power flicked off.

"What?" Roy asked in exasperation. The room was still lit by the moonlight that filtered through the few trees outside the apartment and into the bay window. Riza shoved her gun back against the small of her back and went to retrieve candles. Breda poked the fire, making an observation that without the power it would get cold.

"Maybe it's just a faulty wire." Fuery offered optimistically. Roy shook his head, shoulders sagging from the long day of stress. Riza returned with candles and sat them on the various end tables and lone coffee table in the room. She pulled a box of matches from the room, fixing Roy with a glare that roughly translated to 'use alchemy in my apartment and I'll shoot you', and lit the candles. Roy smiled a little and said down on the loveseat, propping his legs up on the arm rest opposite his head.

"This is going to be a long week." Roy sighed, closing his dark, heavy eyes. "Get some rest. That's an order."

* * *

**Criticism? Comments? Suggestions? **


	3. Make the Escape

**Chapter 3  
Make the Escape  
**_"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."  
- Edgar Allan Poe_

The First Lieutenant was right. They didn't sleep that night.

It was nearly three in the morning and after hours of tossing and turning in a futile attempt to find comfort on Riza's stubborn loveseat, the Colonel sat up. The sound of breathing bounced around the living room as if the walls themselves were sighing in the sounds of sleep. The room was hot, strangely so for the middle of fall, and that alone was enough reason for the Colonel to kick the sheets off that Riza had thrown at him just before they all went to sleep. Roy sighed and leaned against the arm of the loveseat, inspecting his hands as if they had the secrets of life written among their callouses and wrinkles. He sat for a few minutes, just staring at them.

Riza had never been the typical woman, one who fussed over her hair or was easily spooked in the dark, and she most certainly didn't jump when she saw a shadow in the direction of the loveseat. Even more than that, she definitely didn't reach for her gun as if her imagination and the tricks of the dark could be shot. Once her eyes had adjusted to the dark, however, she relaxed. Her superior had risen from his not-so-restful nap and now sat up in the loveseat, at least from what she could tell from the back of the chair. Riza was still in the bay window, who's carpet was now was now covered by a vast array of blankets and spare sheets. She had tactfully chosen her position, somewhere she could have a view of the entrance to her apartment, as well as keep an eye on Mustang and the others. She'd admit, she was a bit jumpy, and now wasn't the first time she'd reached for her gun on this night.

Breda had only slightly stirred where he was half-in-half-out of a long-backed reading chair Riza had pulled in from her study. He had positioned the large green chair beside Havoc to be sure he could grab him if someone busted in. Breda had always thoughtful like that. Now, though, the large man seemed more like a happy child then anything. He had one arm slung over the arm rest, one propped behind his head lazily, his head lolled over to one side, and his mouth hung open in a practically silent snore. He seemed to be the only one who actually went to sleep that night. His dreams, however, weren't much different from the day that preceded them. He kept mumbling things like 'no, don't shoot' and 'we're your friends' and would often yell out between the two phrases.

Breda's yelling had caused poor Fuery to sit up, wide eyed and wild haired, to look around and call to Havoc as if the other man could hear him in his practical coma. Fuery usually sat back against his spot on the floor—he had said sleeping in a chair was sure to give him a back ache—once more and fell back to sleep. That goes without saying that once this chain of events took place, Mustang and Breda were both wide awake and wondering who was yelling. Breda, of course, never had any recollection of his sleep talking and often fell back to sleep moments after having full conversations with Roy. It seemed Havoc was the only one who actually got some decent rest, and it could easily be assumed that his brain was suffering without his normal dose of nicotine that night, so perhaps even he didn't sleep all that well.

"Some night, huh?" Roy's deep, grainy voice floated over to Riza as if it demanded her attention, which it did.

"Yes, sir."

"Drop the formalities, Riza, they're asleep."

"For the moment they are." Her words spoken through a sigh as she lifted one of her guns back up to look at it, inspecting its paint job. Most of her guns came from the Military, but this one was different. This one had its own backstory, and one could easily spend hours recounting all of the excruciating memories this piece of metal had intertwined to it, but it would be best to just say this: this gun had been with Riza since her mother's passing, even if it hadn't been in her possession. No, for many years this gun had sat, uncleaned and unused, until a bright-eyed young girl pulled it out on her way to the Military Academy, and it had stayed with her throughout her career.

"What do we do now?"

Riza smiled, remembering the words that had once been spoken to her when she was feeling as devastated as he did in that moment. "We keep moving forward, Roy."

It was enough to force a smile onto his crestfallen face. He had said that enough in his life, and to have someone say it to him… He didn't know what to do other than smile. Roy turned a little to look at her. The same thought that had polluted his mind all day crawled from the depths of his subconscious that he had beaten it into. "Are… Are you upset with me?"

Riza blinked in confusion, jumping slightly as Havoc let out a loud snore. Roy's dark eyes didn't move from her. She owed him an answer, but honestly she didn't know what to say. His timing was impeccable, as always. She smiled weakly. "Of course not."

He knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he let it go. If Riza didn't want to tell him then he wouldn't push. The Colonel sighed and reached for the cold cup of coffee sitting on the coffee table. "You're allowed to be upset with me, Lieutenant."

Riza sighed loudly, pushing herself off her seat at the window as she headed toward the loveseat Roy was sitting on. "You're upset at yourself enough for the both of us."

"I guess you're right."

Riza sighed, turning to look at the raven-haired man more obviously than she had meant to. He blinked over at her, dark eyes hazy from sleep deprivation. He sipped his coffee once more, not allowing himself to make a face at the bitter black liquid. He wondered to himself what possessed anyone to drink that for enjoyment.

Breda stirred in his rather uncomfortable position on the high-backed chair. The man blinked awake, giving Roy and Riza a strange look as he sat up and rubbed his back. "Can't sleep?" Breda asked sleepily.

"Not well, no." Hawkeye's voice was steady, but lined with tiredness.

Roy shrugged gently. "No such luck."

"You should at least try to get some shut eye." Breda mumbled as he readjusted in his seat. "You'll need it for tomorrow."

"What do you think we're doing?" Roy ask in confusion. It wasn't like Breda to have any strong input on plans. Much less to tell the unit what they were doing. Riza raised her eyebrow at the other man as well; even she thought this was out of character.

"They killed our power. Pretty soon people are going to start breaking into houses. Shouldn't we get away?"

* * *

The refreshing smell of syrup and tea flooded Havoc's senses. He was the last to wake up, understandably, and the thought of food and a nice cigarette was enticing enough to force the blond man to sit up. Whispers caused his eyes to flutter open to the still too bright sunlight that poured in through the bay window. Havoc tried to rub his eye, causing a horribly intense pain to shoot through his arm.

"Agh!" He yelled, half in disbelief and half in pain. Riza stood, unsure of what to do, and finally settled on finding her first aid kit. Fallman sat up in his chair that still rested beside the blond soldier and wrung out the cloth that he had slapped across his forehead the night before.

"You shouldn't move your hand," Riza said as she returned from the depths of her apartment. The Lieutenant sat the kit down and took his hand to examine it. They had bandaged it the day before, but it was hard to diagnose anything with him passed out. Riza began unwrapping his hand.

"What happened?" Havoc asked through gritted teeth.

"Rubble smashed your hand when Central went down." Riza answered quickly as she reapplied a large, hospital white bandage to his smashed and swollen hand. "I'm sure you have quite a few broken bones, but I'm not a doctor."

Havoc shook his head, holding his good hand over his eyes as if the light was poison to him. Mustang's voice drifted over from the breakfast table he still sat in, saying something about pain medicine that he knew they didn't have. Fallman stood and nodded to the two of them as Havoc gave a small squeak of pain.

It was hot in the apartment. Far too hot for the likings of the Briggs soldier. Fallman shuttered at the thought of spending a lot of time in central, he had long since adapted to the cold climate of his post, and the blistering heat that still existed in fall was enough to drive him insane. Fallman headed to the kitchen, crossing the small metal strip in the floor that separated the living room and kitchen.

"Something wrong, Fallman?" Roy asked nonchalantly as he sipped his tea. The power was out, so he could only wonder how Hawkeye had managed to boil water to make the tea. Mustang blinked at him from over his coffee mug, still waiting for an answer to his question.

Fallman shrugged in response. "Nothing, sir." He poured himself a glass of the now lukewarm tea that was made a few hours ago. Havoc had been the distraction he needed to get himself something to drink.

"You ready to move out?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Havoc to recover, sir?" Fallman asked in confusion. Mustang had never really been a cruel person. He didn't figure he was starting now.

"We'll be taking a car; he'll be fine."

"Sir, we should really wait a few days." Hawkeye's voice arose from beside Havoc, placing the last securing tape against Havoc's hand as she spoke. Fallman gave her a small 'thank you' nod. The Colonel was always more inclined to listen to Riza than anyone else.

Roy sighed and sat his mug down against the table. "I've seen people walking through the woods since dawn," he pointed out the bay window and toward the trees that were right outside the apartment. "They're going to run out of food soon—if they've gathered any that is—and where do you think they're going to come look?"

"With all due respect sir, there are six military officers in this apartment, I think we could take a few civilians."

"Could we, lieutenant?" Roy asked, staring down at his coffee mug with dark eyes. He twirled the spoon sitting in it absentmindedly.

"Yes, we could." Her voice was hard, calloused, and determined to protect. Roy's eyes slide over to her.

"Havoc, what do you say?"

The injured man sat up, propped on his elbow against the cool leather of the couch. He smiled gently, though his face was still pained from his hand. "I say we get the hell outta here."

Roy smiled, knowing that was all he needed to get everyone out. "Well, it's settled. Pack a bag." He stood, setting his coffee cup in the sink before smiling over at them. "I've been missing the country, lately."

* * *

**A/N: ****AAkkkkk that was so short and sucky. Sorry guys! I've been super busy this week, and this chapter was going to be slow anyway to set things up. Don't worry, the next one will be tons better :D Review! I criticism! **


	4. Beauty

**Chapter 4  
Beauty  
**_"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express."  
-Francis Bacon_

Imagine open space. Green grass streaked unevenly across the bottom of the blank canvas and splashed gently into the deep blue of a clear and beautiful sky. Trees splattered along the horizon, bark detailed and intricate as the colorful fall leaves that pepper the ground beside them. Imagine a sun so rich in color and warmth that it makes your skin tingle as it slowly begins its descend behind those beautiful trees, turning the few cotton clouds that litter the sky shades of pink and gold.

Now listen to the sound of the night animals awakening as the sun dips behind the large pine trees. The crickets chirping soothingly somewhere off in the distance. Frogs sounds off loudly at a pond to your left, their noise colliding with the crickets in the makings of a wondrous night symphony. An owl calls out its signature '_whooo' _in an octave that bounces around the space. Even with all the sounds, it's peaceful. It's calming. It's… life.

Maybe these were the moments that brought Edward Elric back to Remsembool. Scenes like this weren't exactly rare, and could easily be seen just by climbing atop Granny Pinako's old house. In all of his travels, from Central to the West Countries, Edward had never seen anything as beautiful as this.

Or maybe he had. Either way, both resided in Resembool.

Ed sighed as he leaned against his arms, shingles of the roof digging into his back as he watched the wide open space behind the house. It was fall, and the cool air made his leg ache from the automail. His mouth tugged down in a small grimace. Fall was once his favorite season, now it was just as bad as spring with its rain and cool air.

"Don't you know better than to sit outside all night? You'll catch a cold." Alphonse's voice came from the edge of the roof. He pulled himself the rest of the way up, smiling at the test of his strength. Ed raised his eyebrow at his younger brother.

"So what if I do," Ed muttered, glaring at the open space without much thought about his harsh tone. Through the years, Al had gotten used to it. If anything, he knew something was wrong if his brother's tone was anything but harsh and sarcastic.

"Winry's got dinner done. We were waiting on you." Al said cheerily. Winry made apple pie. Al liked apple pie. It was a very simple equation for Al's happiness.

"Oh, ok, sure." Ed stood up, stretching his arms. _His _arms. It had been years since the Promised Day, and he still forgot he had both of his own arms again. Al smiled over at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You must want to get him in the head again, brother."

"Like hell I do." That would make it the third time Winry hit him in the head that day. Luckily, she wasn't near her wrench for the first one. Edward wondered how he hadn't gotten brain damage from all the abuse she put him through.

Ed smiled gently. Maybe he didn't mind it _too _much.

"Alphonse!" May's voice floated from the front door of the home, harsh and slightly accented. A fearful look struck Al's features as he scrambled up, Edward on his heels, and jumped to the porch a few feet from the roof. May could be just as dangerous as Winry, if not more so. "I'm _starving_! Quit taking forever!"

"Sorry, May!" Al yelled back as he rounded the corner to the front of the house, just in time to see the door shut. Edward smiled as he pulled the front door open, allowing his brother to enter first. Mostly because he didn't want to be the one the girls attacked. They were cranky when they took too long to get back.

"About time you two got back inside." Winry smiled, setting the apple pie down on the table. Alphonse grinned as he took a seat by May. She had traveled back with him after Ed wrote him to say he was returning to Resembool. It had surprised him when they returned, in fact, Ed had no idea she was even coming.

_Ed sat against the bench; legs sprawled out in front of him. It had been a while since he returned; the west just wasn't home to him, and the knowledge he gained there didn't fill the emptiness he felt since he left. Apparently, Al felt the same way, since he told him he was returning home as soon as he got his letter. _

"_Brother!" Al's voice was sharp against Ed's keen ears. Ed stood and smiled at his brother, before he realized he was carrying two suitcases._

"_Since when do you pack so much stuff?" _

"_Oh, umm…" He paused, then stepped aside to reveal a much older May. She grinned at him and waved. _

"May_?" Ed's voice was bewildered as his eyes darted from the Xingese woman to his brother, who was currently rubbed the back of his neck nervously._

"_I was afraid that was how you'd react."_

"_You brought a _girl _home?" He yelled, causing a few people to look over at them strangely._

"_Well… You see- I.. Um…" _

_Realization smacked Edward in the face. "Oh." He grinned. "Well, won't Winry be happy to hear about this."_

The memory faded from his forethought, leaving him standing awkwardly in the doorway. Ed pushed himself off the doorframe and toward the table. "So, apple pie, huh?"

"It's Al's favorite." Winry beamed back as Ed took his normal seat beside her. Pinako sat at the head of the table, smiling at the four of them.

"It's everyone's favorite, Win."

Winry smiled. It was quiet for a few moments. The sound of the night filled the house, and the aroma of food assaulted their senses. For the moment, everything seemed perfect.

"I missed this."

The others nodded. Their eyes were in a faraway place as they all revealed in the memories quietly. Winry frowned, probably the least happy of everyone around the table. She let out a small _'humph'_ and started piling food on her plate. Ed clapped his hands and smiled.

Everyone at the table flinched.

It had been such a long time since Edward preformed alchemy. Just clapping his hands sent them all on edge, remembering the last time he used his alchemy. Al avoided the subject at all costs, afraid of upsetting his _slightly _overdramatic brother. Ed looked up in confusion that lasted only a brief moment before realization took his place and he sighed. They began eating without a word on the matter.

There was a knock at the door. The loud, thick sound of flesh hitting solid wood floated around the kitchen. Ed and Winry glanced at each other before Ed stood and cautiously made his way to the heavy oak door.

"Who's there?"

"Take a guess, kid." He knew that voice. He remembered it all too well. Ed twisted the doorknob rather violently, eyes growing wide as the door swung open to reveal the body of an old friend he hadn't seen in years: the Emperor of Xing. Ed gawked for a moment before shaking his head. Why would an emperor travel all the way back to Amestris? Did he need another Philosopher's Stone?

Something caught Edward's attention, snapping him back away from his thoughts as the others in the kitchen asked him who was at the door. Ling's eyes were too wide for normal, revealing the purple iris no one had seen for years. Ed took a step back in shock.

"_Greed_?"

* * *

Roy gave an exasperated sigh for probably the twentieth time since they left Riza's apartment. They had gotten everything ready pretty quickly and, going by the list Hawkeye had written up for them, they had gotten everything that they plus Ed and his group would need to stay alive for the next few weeks. Unfortunately, no one had considered how long of a drive it was to Resembool and the fact that they were squeezing six people into a car made for four.

Roy was driving, thank the heavens because he had nearly snapped twice in a thirty minute timespan and it would have been _much _worse had he sat in the back. Hawkeye took the passenger seat, gun in hand to fight off anyone that might recognize them as military. Breda, Havoc, Fallman, and Fuery were all crammed into the two backseats and hadn't stopped bickering like children since they left Central.

Riza laughed gently as the Colonel rubbed his temple with one hand and steered with the other. He wasn't the best at handling stress—no, he handled stress pretty well, he couldn't handle _children._ The thought made the Lieutenant smile.

"Hey, how far away is Resembool anyway?" Fuery asked, voice muffled from Havoc's shoulder as the blond man attempted to move his position.

"Are you a damn child?" Mustang's voice was a bit louder than he had anticipated. "Because I will _turn this car around_ and throw you to the terrorists!"

"You would do that to a child?" Fuery inquired in confusion at the older man. Riza shook her hand and turned to look at him.

"We're close, Fuery."

Mustang scoffed but didn't say anything else to either of them. Fallman shifted against Breda, definitely having been given the short end of the deal when it came to seats. He was practically sitting in Breda lap, and would have happily sat on the roof instead. Havoc mumbled something about need a cigarette. Roy's eye twitched.

"Would you like me to drive, sir?" Riza asked, ignoring the men sitting behind her. Roy glanced over at her before turning back to the black asphalt.

"No, thank you, lieutenant." He paused for a moment, and then continued in an attempt to sound less harsh. "It distracts me."

"Very well, sir."

"Hawkeye, when are you going to loosen up? We're not in the office anymore." Jean asked in an almost innocent tone. Roy glanced at him from the rearview mirror and shook his head at the other man, almost in a discreet way. To their astonishment, Riza laughed.

"As far as I'm concerned we're still working, Havoc."

"I feel more like this is a much need vacation." Fallman added with a subtle smile to the others.

"Oh, so your idea of a vacation is hiding from idiots who just blew up Central Command, huh?" Havoc snorted and shook his head. Fuery groaned and held his hands over his ears. He could already feel the argument starting between the two.

"_Shut—_" The car skidded to a stop. The Colonel inhaled sharply and smiled as he stepped out of the car and its cramped quarters. Riza blinked, surprised that they had reached the Elrics' home so quickly. She filed out of the car, allowing the others to do the same as she started grabbing the bags they had stuffed full of their provisions. Havoc watched the others take a few bags, feeling slightly useless with his damaged hand. They had decided to wait to seek medical attention for him, and hoped that there was even a doctor in Resembool. Havoc sighed and shook his head, following the others as they started through the trees that lined the side of the road.

It was decided the night before that taking the back entrance was safer.

"Everything out?" Mustang prodded them, glancing back to look at the group that had shambled in behind him as he leaned against a large tree.

"Yes, sir. We had-"

"Good." Mustang smiled, turning to the trees once more.

_Snap!_

The car roared and creaked as it's body caught fire—no, _exploded_—and slowly became less and less recognizable. Riza blinked at the Colonel in shock. They had planned to dispose of the car, but in a much more subtle way then lighting it ablaze right beside the road. Fuery facepalmed beside her. Roy trudged forward into the large oak trees and spikey undergrowth; they followed.

"From this moment on, no one here was ever in the military. Do not use your real name outside of the Elrics' home. Do not discuss your past if you can help it and if you have to talk about it then _lie. _And most importantly," he turned to look at them, dark eyes much too serious for the conversation they had gone over nearly three times that day alone, "do _not _call anyone by their title. I am not 'Colonel' from now on. Understand?"

"Sir!" The five agreed. Mustang glared at them through half-lidded eyes.

"Don't call me 'sir'. I'm not your superior right now. This isn't the office." The words shocked Riza. She hadn't referred to him as anything else in front of another soul in years. She honestly didn't know what to do outside of the office. For once, the thought stared her.

They walked for what seemed like hours, though it was only about a fifteen minute hike up to the house atop the hill. A smile touched Roy's lips; he had honestly not expected to ever see the house again. It had been so long since he even laid eyes on the little shack.

It was of considerable size to be so far out into the country, and it had pretty good upkeep considering that an old woman and a teenage girl was its only occupants for the better part of eighteen years. Roy assumed the new renovations had been done by Edward and Alphonse shortly after they're return. Of course, he had known when the former alchemist left and when he return. He'd even made an attempt to keep up with both boys during their travels; he'd been Ed's, and likewise, Al's, commanding officer for several years, and the thought of having no idea what they were up to scared him a little. Not that they couldn't take care of himself, but it took a while for Ed's resignation paperwork to go through and Roy didn't want to pay for damages.

Or that was what he said, anyway.

"Who's there?" Roy held his hands up, surprised by the old woman's sudden appearance on the porch of the old house. Pinako nodded, eyes squinted, to him once she realized who they were and that they were no threat. They'd seen several strangers walking out of the woods in the past few days.

"Just us." Fuery grinned back at the old woman as if he knew her. Pinako smiled back to him, something that seemed out of character to Roy. After a few more seconds, the sound of military boots on wood filled his ears as they walked up on to the porch.

"Who's out there, Granny?" Ed's voice asked from inside. Bright blond hair peaked around the door followed by the very nonchalant face of its owner.

Roy could practically see the sweat drop off Edward's head. "Uh, what brings you here Colonel?"

Roy froze. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Alphonse questioned from where he had been standing at the side of the porch, head propped against his hand.

"Central was attacked a few days ago." The air was heavy with tension and surprise.

"You're kidding right?" Ed's voice was slightly high pitched.

"Yeah, we came _all _this way to play a prank on you Ed." Havoc laughed quietly.

"Who's stupid enough to attack Central?" Ed inquired, running his hand through his bangs.

"They call themselves 'The Servants'. We don't know much else about them as of now, aside from the fact that they're hunting the military." Riza informed him as if she running a briefing. Ed nodded, rubbing his chin as he thought. Al walked to the door and motioned for them to come inside.

"So, you're hiding, right?"

"Correct." Roy answered, looking around at the faces in the kitchen they had entered. There was Winry, who was currently washing dishes and leaned up against the counter, and the princess from Xing, May, who was sitting at the table and staring at her hands. "What are you doing back in Amestris, May?"

"I, um, I came back with Alphonse." She answered, twirling a portion of her sleeve around her fingers as she spoke. It had become a nervous habit for her, especially with anything to do with Al. It seemed that everyone always assumed the worst with the two of them and she wasn't sure why. If anyone should get assumptions made about them it should be Ed and Winry.

"Oh." Roy answered, nodding his head to her politely. Riza took a seat beside her and struck up a conversation.

"Long time, no see, eh, Colonel?" Roy spun around to face the man who stood against the doorframe opposite from them. He hadn't seen anyone else in the room when he walked in. Roy shook his head to clear his mind and laughed gently. He was too jumpy.

"Hey, Ling." Roy gave a halfhearted smile to the Emperor. He hadn't heard anything about the Emperor of Xing coming to Amestris. He grinned, wondering if the boy had bothered with getting a passport this time around. "I didn't know you were in Amestris."

"Not Ling." The Xingese man smirked. "Greed."

Roy froze. He had seen the soul of the homunculi get torn out of Ling's body, and then Father had torn him out of his own body and let him die. Right? Had he been mistaken? The Colonel furrowed his brow in thought.

"Damn, now I have to tell this story all over again." Greed sighed, taking a seat at one of the seats across from the princess.

"Now this," Roy smiled at the man, "I would like to hear."

* * *

**MWhahahahaha. Plot twist! And, now I shall answer reviews!**

**Bluefire21: Hah, aren't you just sweet. Thanks, really, I hated that last chapter. It was so short. This is at least 3k words, so it's a bit longer. Maybe it's a bit better? I sure hope so. I'm enjoying this story far too much.**

**krikanalo: You're too kind! Thank you so much for taking the time to review!**

**Ripace: *throws next chapter at you* Here, its all for you! Thanks so much for reviewing and for reading! And *squeals* you like the storyline?! :D**

**Sokkasm: Well thank you! And nice username! ATLA fan, I presume? That was my first fandom :D**

**Review for me? :D**


	5. Guardians

**Chapter 5  
Guardians  
**_"I never wanted a Guardian Angel. I didn't ask for one. One was assigned to me"  
-Mercedes McCambridge_

The Xingese man paused as the room fell silent, and touched his mouth to the rim of the shot glass Pinako had handed him. He smirked, of course the old lady would have a few drinks hidden around the house, and he was sorry he hadn't thought about that fact sooner. The brats had been giving him a headache since he showed up. The Colonel was eyeing him in what seemed to be suspicion. Greed smirked in return and continued with his story about how he'd returned, "And that's how Ling sacrificed the entire Xing country to bring me back."

Frowns stared back at him. The Colonel deadpanned and stood up a bit faster than Greed had expected, forcing him to blink at him in slight surprise. Great, now you're going to get us killed, Greed. Ling's voice echoed in the homunculus's head. Greed frowned.

"What?" Roy seemed enraged at the thought. Edward laughed gently in the background.

"You're pretty gullible, y'know, Colonel?" Ed chuckled as he took a seat across from Greed.

"Ugh," Greed rolled his eyes and sat the glass back down against the table before muttering a curse at the younger man. Ling scolded him somewhere in his mind. The sin rubbed his temples as the other members of the room watched him carefully.

"Honestly, I don't fully understand what happened." Greed's expression was somewhere between a frown and a smirk. "Somehow my soul got mixed up with the brat's and I woke up after they got back to Xing."

Frowns still stared back at the man.

"What?" Greed asked in mock innocence. Silence fell over the room, leaving several eyes staring down at the sin in disbelief.

"It's just that we expected some big comeback." Edward was the first to answer him. Well you didn't exactly tell them the truth. Ling muttered in the back of his mind. Greed glared back, but ended up glaring at Ed instead. He looked away.

I didn't lie. But I don't do mushy friendship stories, kid. The sin said internally. Of course he wasn't going to tell them that Ling was right about friends. The conversation they had when Bido died turned out to be completely true. You couldn't just wash your hands of a friend and be done with them; they were a part of you—your soul to be exact—and they didn't just disappear.

Turns out the Xingese prince couldn't have been more right.

It was just after Ling took the thrown that Greed awoke in the back of his mind. It was quieter this time than his previous times in Ling's subconscious. There wasn't the steady hum of voices from the souls that inhabited his body. Instead, there was nothing but darkness, deafening silence, and occasionally bits and pieces of Ling's conversations. After a few weeks, Greed was strong enough to make his presence known.

After a month of being back, here they were, back in Amestris. The sin had practically dragged Ling back to the country, too. He knew something was wrong, but Ling didn't want to leave his own country without an emperor. Luckily, a trustworthy family friend volunteered to step in for Ling while he was gone.

"That's because he isn't telling the entire truth."

Greed's head jerked up at the voice. He hadn't expected her to follow them; in fact, she had been bluntly ordered not to do so. He shook his head.

"Lan Fan, didn't Ling tell you not to come with us?"

"I am sworn to protect the Emperor, whether he likes it or not." Lan Fan stated, crossing her arms from where she stood against the front door. Alphonse had moved to the side to let her in. Mei nodded to her, more out of respect than friendship. The Clans had made up with each other, but they still weren't the best of friends.

Greed chuckled half to himself, probably at a comment Ling had shot back at his bodyguard that was inaudible to her ears. "I'm gonna let Ling talk to you kids. I'm not a fan of catch up games."

There was a change in Greed, one that was only noticeable to those close enough to the two souls to distinguish the difference. The once amethyst eyes turned dark and returned to their relaxed—and slightly squinted—form. His hair shifted slightly to the side, probably in the way Ling held his head compared to the way Greed did, to show both of his eyes instead of one. A smile touched Lan Fan's lips before it quickly retreated and a serious line took its place.

"My lord," The black haired woman gave a slight bow to the man in the chair across the room from her. Ling practically rolled his eyes at her formality and turned back to the others. A foreign look worked its way onto Lan Fan's face, but disappeared before anyone could see it.

Well, anyone that couldn't empathize with the expression.

Hawkeye, who currently stood on the other side of the door from Lan Fan and several paces behind her superior that sat at the table, cleared her throat as she watched the young girl's automail hand clench and unclench. She could only approve of the girl's way of dealing with her emotions; she definitely didn't let them get into the way.

Lan Fan glanced at the older woman from the corner of her eye, not turning her head to look at her as if that would be obvious. The Xingese bodyguard folded her arms once more and closed her eyes. Things had been different ever since they returned to Xing. He'd become more distant, and not just because of Greed randomly taking over his body. It was more than that, as if he was disappointed or disgusted by her, and it was stupid to think returning to Amestris would change any of that. She honestly didn't know what his problem was, but she still had to uphold her promise, whether he wanted her to or not.

"You ok?" Riza's voice was gently, and quiet enough that the others in the room didn't hear. Lan Fan offered a nod to the other's question. Blue eyes met brown, and Lan Fan turned away from the other women. They stood there, backs against either side of the door and eyes constantly scanning the entrances for intruders. It was a boring ritual: look at the window above the sink, glance over to the door that led to someone's bedroom and possible a back door, slide over to the open doorway that went to the living room, and back to the window.

It was a boring ritual, but both had gotten used to it. The sound of breathing and quite chatter invaded their minds. It was something Riza tried to ignore, but Lan Fan welcomed it. It was a distraction from the war rumbling in her mind. Hawkeye folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the door frame. There were a total of ten souls crammed into the kitchen: five normal citizens, two superiors, two body guards, and one homunculus. The other five or so were lounging in the living room now that Greed's story was finished. It was a lot of people to fit into a tiny, two story house upon an empty hill.

"Well, we've got the two guest rooms," Pinako paused to think and then continued; "if we put two to a room then we'd fit eight into rooms, the others could sleep in the living room and here if needed."

"Hmm," Roy tapped his chin, "couples obviously could bunk together," he eyed Ed and Winry and Al and Mei, "but the rest of us could pile up in the spare rooms."

Breda made a sound of agreement from the living room. Laughter followed. Ed and Al exchanged careful looks and then grinned back at the Colonel.

"So, Colonel," The blond hair male smiled back at his former superior, "have you taken Hughes up on his advice?" Edward had overheard a conversation Maes and Roy had before his death. He always ended it with a particular tidbit of advice. Roy flushed and gave an exceptionally loud comeback about how he was focused on goals and such. Lan Fan looked over at Riza, but said nothing.

"If I may make a suggestion, sir," Riza's voice was sharp and clear among the fussing of the two men. Roy blinked at her, not expecting Hawkeye to still be so formal. "I believe you and the rest of the unit should bunk together. I'd rather stay here and watch the door."

"I would also like to guard the entrance, my lord." Lan Fan spoke, not meeting Ling's eyes as she made the request. It was more out of force of habit than anything else.

"Well, alright Hawkeye." Roy was still blinking in surprise when he spoke. His dark hair fell awkwardly in his eyes as he spoke. Riza looked away and nodded, making a mental note to avoid looking at his hair for the rest of the night.

"That would be for the best." Ling answered Lan Fan, his tone mimicking her formal one. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the chair. "It's getting late anyway."

"We should try to work this bunking situation out before it gets toodark."

It was well into the darkest hours of the night by the time the two bodyguards heard a single sound. It was the kind of darkness that made it hard to see your hand a few inches from your face. They were currently relying on Lan Fan's chi abilities to know if anyone was near the house. So far, they'd seen no one nearby.

"Hey, Hawkeye?" After sitting for hours in the dark, it came as a shock to hear Lan Fan's voice. Riza turned her head in the ebony haired girl's direction. Had it not been so dark in the house, Hawkeye would have seen the hair that obscured the girl's face, hiding the salty, sticky tears that trailed down her cheeks and dribbled onto her shirt. Had it not been so dark, Riza would have noticed Lan Fan's body shaking gently with silent sobs that she had gotten so good at hiding and her hands pressed against her warm face to muffle her sharp intakes of breath.

But it was dark in the house, and Riza knew nothing other than the other bodyguard's voice cracked slightly.

"Yes?"

"D-Do you care about him?" Lan Fan stuttered out, not realizing how pathetic she sounded until it was too late. She bit her lip and looked back to the door, focusing on the chi once more. To do this, she had to ignore her own chi, which was dangerous to begin with. Once she ignored her own, it was unmasked and could be seen by anyone with slight knowledge of the Dragon Pulse, but it was also the best surefire way to be sure no one was around. She would know, she'd done it since they had returned to Xing.

"The Colonel?" Riza asked; her tone dead serious. When Lan Fan began to stutter out an apology Riza waved her hand to silence her. There was no need for apologizes when there was nothing done wrong. "No, it's fine." She mumbled when she realized the girl couldn't see her. "I promised him I would protect him and see that he completed his goals. I care about him in the way that I would care about a childhood friend."

That was a dead lie. Both bodyguards knew this, but they also knew that admitting it into the open was to admit that they were incapable of doing their jobs. One could only protect someone they cared about for so long without succumbing to the temptation of their feelings. That would mean putting their guard down and putting their superiors at risk.

"What about you?" Riza asked, more to make conversation than to get a real answer.

"Same," Lan Fan breathed back. "But, lately he's been acting more like we're business partners than childhood friends. I… I must have done something wrong, but I don't know what It could be.

"It could be anything; he's a man."

"So?"

"Men are emotional and paranoid. He probably thinks he did something and now he feels awkward or ridiculous. Have you talked to him about it?""

Lan Fan paused, then shook her head. "No, I've just tried to give him some space."

"Like now?" Riza asked with a small smile.

"Yes. Like now."

"The best I can tell you is to talk to him." Riza smiled back, knowing the Xingese woman couldn't see her. She'd been around men long enough to hear all their stories about women and feelings. Hawkeye knew exactly what was wrong with the young Emperor, but she wasn't going to be the one to tell Lan Fan. She'd let him do that.

"Thank you." Lan Fan mumbled, bowing her head to the older woman, who simply laughed gently in response.

"Don't thank me I've just been around men too long."

Roy readjusted in his bed for the thirteenth time that night. He was such a restless sleeper, not that the old lumpy mattress he laid on was helping any. The bed across the room from him squeaked as its occupant rolled over to look at him.

"I can't sleep." The Emperor frowned, examining his nails in the darkness as he spoke. Ling and Roy had been stuck in the same room after Mustang's Unit literally covered ever available surface in the room they had picked out. Lan Fan was kind enough to offer him the extra bed in Ling's room, saying she wouldn't sleep that night anyway.

Roy snorted and shrugged. "Me either. What's keeping you up?"

"Lan Fan." Ling answered bluntly, ignoring the Colonel's sudden spike in eyebrow movement. Roy laughed gently and turned over on his side to watch the younger man. Most of the group knew that the emperor and his subordinate had a thing, but he hadn't expected him to admit that to him of all people.

"You that worked up over her?"

"N-No!" Ling practically yelled back at the Colonel, eyes wide with some emotion that was too hazy and distant to understand. The candle Roy had lit caused orange to dance on the young lord's face. Roy shook his head at the boy and sighed. "It's her chi. Something's wrong with it. It went dark but it does this every night."

"What are you talking about?" Roy seemed more confused than Ling at the moment.

"The Dragon's Pulse. Chi Reading. You Amestris people call it by a lot of names, but it means the same thing. I was trained in it as a child, as were my bodyguards, and normally I can't see Lan Fan's chi but every night I can and it's always… dark." Ling rambled on but became serious as his sentence ended. Roy nodded to him, understanding that whatever he was talking about wasn't good.

"What does normal chi look like?"

"It doesn't really look like anything. It's a feeling, like another sense. But normally it's light and subtle, but her's is so heavy and I don't understand."

Roy shrugged. Women baffled him too and he honestly didn't know what to tell the Xingese man about his women feeling 'heavy'. "Maybe she's sick."

"No, being sick shouldn't affect her chi like that." Ling paused, staring up at the cream colored ceiling as he thought. "But, I have asked her if she was sick. She always tells me she's fine."

"When did you ask?"

Ling paused in thought, and then grimily answered, "About a month ago."

"Maybe she's just upset."

There was a bang, Similar to the sound of cannon fire on the front lines. Roy jumped up as Ling's eyes widened. There was a few gunshots and a shout, but there were no shrieks of pain or cries of anger. Roy knew how deadly Hawkeye was; if the intruder wasn't dead or fatally injured by now then something was wrong. Something hit the ground in the kitchen, and a struggle could be heard, followed by Riza's voice calling out the fellow bodyguard's name.

Ling reached for his curved sword he had neatly wrapped and laid on his nightstand just before they went to bed. Roy shook his head at the emperor; Mustang had no idea he was there, so he highly doubted any enemies of theirs would know either.

Roy slipped his hand into one of the gloves he had stuffed into his pocket and picked up the lantern from the nightstand. "Stay here,"

"There is no way-"

"Greed, keep him here." Roy pulled the door open as Ling went completely still, though his face had turned to an expression of pure rage. He was probably mentally cursing the Colonel as the raven haired man stepped into the living room to see what the commotion was.

There was a large man—no, to call it a man would be generous—thing hunched in the door way of the kitchen, facing the two women across from it. It's skin was tinted a sickening shade of green, and Roy was certain he had seen a tail under its oversized coat just before it lunged at the girls again. Riza fired off several more rounds into the monster's face, which slowed it down enough for them to move to another wall.

It was bleeding, Mustang could tell that much, but it was bleeding enough to have just been shot in the head four times. It was unnatural to say the very least. The beast picked its head up, eyes reflecting the light of Mustang's lantern, and it dove forward. With her automail in a heap at her feet and unable to truly defend herself, Lan Fan screamed. Riza gasped and fired several more shots, but the creature didn't stop.

Snap.

Fire blazed against the monster's skin, narrowly missing Lan Fan, though it didn't look like she cared all that much. Ling appeared beside Mustang. He had overpowered Greed just before Lan Fan was attacked. The Xingese man froze in horror at the sight, but the shock only lasted a few minutes before disappearing.

"My lord, swords cannot damage its skin!" Lan Fan choked out, clutching her stump of an arm with her working hand. She had a large gash on her forehead that was pouring blood down her face and sticking her bangs to her paling skin. The cut was definitely in need of stitches. Ling stopped in the doorway as he processed her words, debating on attempting to attack it or to move his friend. He settled on the latter with a sigh and picked up his injured bodyguard.

"Move!" Roy yelled with his fingers in their normal snapping position. Riza followed behind the other two as they retreated from the kitchen. They could hear the creaking of others coming to investigate. Roy snapped once more, lighting up the darkness of the house and filling it with the wails of the beast.

"What's going o-" Mei froze in the hallway for a split second before running back to her room to fetch her knifes and her boyfriend. The monster gave a loud growl and started toward them. Roy snapped, feeling slightly guilty for charring the Rockbell's flooring. There was only so much pinpointing he could do with a monster this size.

"What the hell?" Edward's voice rang out from behind them. He started forward, only to have his pace slow and come to a stop behind Riza. Without his alchemy, there wasn't much he could do in a confined space with a monster of that size.

"Is it a chimera?" Alphonse asked, appearing from the hallway with Mei on his heels. She eyed the creature warily.

"Dunno. Doesn't look like one."

"Brother, look at its skin."

"Why don't we discuss what it is once it's dead?" Mustang asked temperamentally. Alphonse clapped his hands together and Mei began her alchestry ritual. Roy snapped again as the best sauntered forward. It let out an angry screech just as Mei tapped her hands against the circle she'd drawn, causing the wall beneath the other two stars to reach out and grab the monster.

It's skin was charred, but not broken or blistered. Roy gave an irritated huff and crossed his arms. There were bullet holes in its face from Riza's pistol, but there were barely any traces of blood left from it. The only thing keeping it back was Mei's alchestry, and they weren't sure how long that could hold him off.

"Well, well, well," Ling's voice had shifted again. He was no longer holding his subordinate, but was now inspecting the creature pinned against the wall. Greed flashed a smirk and turned to the Colonel. "You can't kill it."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked in confusion, hoping he wouldn't get the answer he thought he would.

"It's skin is practically steel. You can't kill it."

"Can you?" Mustang asked, crossing his arms. It was more of a defensive statement then an actual question.

"Yes," Greed shrugged as if he had stated the weather and turned back to the monster. "But what's in it for me?" His mouth twitched upward in a smirk. Of course he had no intention of allowing any of them to get hurt when he could handle the monster, but it was fun to remind them who he was every now and then.

"I won't kick your ass, you greedy son of a-"

"Brother!"

Greed's shoulders relaxed a little, almost in defeat. Ling must have been arguing with him to help the others kill the monster, because he certainly hadn't been defeated by any of them. "Fine. I'd hate to get beaten up by the brat." Greed's amethyst eyes flashed over to Ed, who glared back in return, before his ultimate shield covered his right arm.

And then he sliced through the creature's stomach.

It was an odd thing, to watch the soul drain out of a body's eyes. It was nothing new to Riza, Roy, and Greed, but the others had made a point to avoid killing. They'd seen it, yes, but it was different to aid in it.

"Well, so much for a quiet night."

* * *

**Bwhahahaha! ****I finally finished it! I know there's errors in it, and I'm sorry. Tell me where you see them and I'll correct them ASAP. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to proof-read and I barely have the time to write these between work and college. I'd love to answer everyone's reviews but I have a exam tomorrow, and I have to go study for it. Thanks so much for everyone's support and criticism! (Dashita Tichou, I fixed Mei's name in this chapter, I'll have to go back and edit it in the previous chapters. Thanks for letting me know!)**

**Review! :D**


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